A British expatriate who took the life of his terminally ill wife in Cyprus has passed away in hospital, his family has confirmed.
David Hunter, 78, was found guilty of manslaughter in 2023 after he suffocated his wife Janice, 74, at their home in Tremithousa, near Paphos, in December 2021. Janice had been battling terminal blood cancer and had reportedly begged him for weeks to end her life, the court was told during his trial.
His daughter Lesley Cawthorne, 53, confirmed today that her father had died in a Cypriot hospital. The former coal miner from Ashington, Northumberland, had experienced declining health since his release from prison three years ago.
It is understood he was hospitalised this week due to a urinary tract infection but passed away unexpectedly today, Lesley revealed. Following Janice's death, he received a two-year prison sentence but, accounting for time already served, was freed in the summer of 2023.
He continued to reside on the island to remain near his late wife's grave close to Tremithousa. The couple had been married for 52 years and retired to Cyprus in 2002, reports the Mirror.
Lesley, from Norwich, stated today: "We are devastated and the support over the last few years has meant the world to us."
Cyprus' attorney general had challenged both the manslaughter conviction and the sentence imposed on Hunter, with additional court proceedings scheduled. During his trial in Paphos, the court was told that following Janice's suffocation, Hunter attempted to end his own life but was discovered by police officers who had been notified by Interpol after he had reached out to relatives to inform them of events.
The case attracted global attention as discussions erupted surrounding the mercy killing.
